Suse 9.3 install advice needed

[jwf]

Hi,
I've downloaded SuSe 9.3 on CD's and would like to load in onto my system without impacting my WindowsXP nor my Linux 9.1 install.

My partitions look like the following:

linux:~ # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 163.9 GB, 163928604672 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19929 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        1383    11108916    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda2            4080        4092      104422+  83  Linux
/dev/hda3            4093       19929   127210702+  8e  Linux LVM
/dev/hda4            1385        4079    21647587+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5            1385        1448      514048+  82  Linux swap
/dev/hda6            1449        4079    21133476   83  Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/hdb: 40.0 GB, 40027029504 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4866 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1               1           4       32098+  de  Dell Utility
/dev/hdb2   *           5        4866    39054015    7  HPFS/NTFS

I can see from this, I'll want to avoid /dev/hdb (windowsXP)
and would want to direct the install to /dev/hda, but am confused on how to point the install to the correct partition on /dev/hda.

From the display above can someone advise me how I can install 9.3 without affecting my 9.1 install?

Thanks

[dylunio]

Okay, when you boot the cd, you'll get the Yast installer, go through the steps of the initial install (language etc. iirc). On the last page (iirc) there will be a bunch of settings, one being the the partition settup. You'll need to edit this so get / installed on /dev/hda6 (or wherever you want it), and make sure you put nothing on /dev/hdb1 and /dev/hdb2 or /dev/hda2 (I take that is where 9.1 is). Once you are happy that you have / on the right partition, you should be fine, since Suse should find swap and use that as it is anyway

Best of luck.

[jwf]

Ok thanks,

dylunio says:

... or /dev/hda2 (I take that is where 9.1 is).

To me, I didn't think /dev/hda2 was large enough to hold the Linux 9.1 system. Am I wrong on this?
What would be on /dev/hda6? Would that be unused space?
If so, that's where I'd put the 9.3 install. (I guess)


// Edited: //
OK, just verified the /dev/hda6 contents,, it has directories such as home,usr,bin,etc,, so I'm thinking THIS is where Linux 9.1 is installed.
/dev/hda2 has grub loaded there, and /dev/hda1 has boot files on it.
(I'll leave these alone)

So, now we are down to hda3,hda4 & hda5

/dev/hda4 is 21 meg blocks &
/dev/hda5 is Linux swap space

But, when I try accessing /dev/hda3 (in knoppix) labeled 'Linux LVM' it says it cannot mout the drive. I think this is where I should format and load Suse 9.3. there is 127 gig of unused space there.



Any thoughts?

[dylunio]

Since you say nothing is on /dev/hda3 I think it would be safe to use that for the / partition for 9.3, though make sure it's nothing special, since it's an lvm (Logical Volume Manager) partition, it can be resized etc, but I don't think this affects the reformatting of that partition.

[jwf]

Hmm, well I tried to install 9.3 on /dev/hda3, but the selection was not allowed.
The following was the options allowed during installation:

     Partition Selections:
		   
   1. 10.5 GB, Win95 Fat32 LBA (/dev/hda1)
   2. 7.8 MB, unassigned
   3. 502.0 MB, Linux Swap (/dev/hda5)  
   4. 20.1 GB Linux Native (/dev/hda6)    * this is where suse 9.1 is
   5. 1010.9 GB Linux Native (/dev/hda2)  * this is where GRUB resides
   6. 121.3 GB, Linux LVM (/dev/hda3)

The default SUSE 9.3 installation selections are to reformat
selections 3 & 4.
I did not want to overwrite suse 9.1, but manual selections of created an error message:
Selection 6 = I get the message: selected "partition not big enough"
Selection 3 & 6 = message that the "partitions are not contiguous"
Selection 3 = "must start with the highest in the list"
Selection 6 & 5 = message: selected "partition not big enough"

I do not know how to install suse 9.3 and preserve my 9.1 install

Any ideas how I might do this?

Also, if I have to choose the 'update' option, will this clear out my personal files (documents I have created and firefox links)?


Thanks

[dylunio]

Hmm, since I've never updated from on version of a distro to another, let alone with suse, I'm not 100% sure of what it keeps, and what it discards, I've always heard people reconmend doing a fresh install when moving up distro versions.

You might want to try going into YaST in 9.1, and in there playing with the partitions until your happy (maybe reformat hda3, to be a `normal` partition formated reiserfs or ext3), before you bootup the 9.3 install cd, and then just having to select hda3, and not having to do anything to it like format.

dylunio

[jwf]

dylunio, thanks for your reply.

I tried running yast, but it seems the /dev/hda3 partition is a Logical Volume that is part of the VolGroup00.

Yast suggested that it needs to be removed from the volume group to be edited.
(YAST also stated that if I was not an expert at partitioning, do not continue).


OK, I'm in over my experience level. Even reading about the LVM doesn't really help me, other than it appears it is to allow for dynamic resizing of data storage space.

** Attached is a snapshot of YAST's view of the hard drives

Device              Size             F  Type
________________________________________________________
/dev/hda                   152.6 GB     6Y160P0       
/dev/hda1                   10.5 GB     Win95 FAT32 LBA
/dev/hda2                  101.9 MB     Linux native
/dev/hda3                  121.3 GB     Linux LVM     
/dev/hda4                   20.6 GB     Extended      
/dev/hda5                  502.0 MB     Linux swap   
/dev/hda6                   20.1 GB     Linux native  
/dev/hdb                    37.2 GB     6L040L2       
/dev/hdb1                   31.4 MB     Dell Utility
/dev/hdab2                  37.2 GB     HPFS/NTFS       
/dev/VolGroup00            121.3 MB     LVM2 VolGroup00      
/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00   120.7 GB     LV      
/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol01   512.0 MB     LV

As you can see, I have 2 drives, one 40 gig (XP)drive and a 160 GB (Linux) drive.
I should be able to load a few distros on the 160 GB drive (I thought), but probably need some advice on how to repartitiion.


If I am to continue to try and load SUSE 9.3 and preserve SUE 9.1, I'll need some guidance from someone who considers themselves as an expert in partitioning.


Thanks (anyone?)

[jwf]

Anybody with Logical Volume experience?

I need to know the ramifications of:

1. unassociating the logical partition (/dev/hda3) from the Logical Volume Group 00
2. resizing and or creating an extended partition so I can load another distro on my computer.

Is this way over everybody's head, or is this something one does not change?



Thanks